co-authored by Josh Donovan and Tim Rhoades
A Note on Authorship
This post is co-authored and intentionally structured.
Tim Rhoades’ contribution appears in a dedicated section below and is shared in his own words.
Josh Donovan’s contribution frames the broader context around clarity, Core Ideology, and the work Lighthouse Institute is committed to as we move through 2026.
Two perspectives.
One shared belief.
Clarity changes everything.
Josh’s Perspective: Why Clarity Matters More Than Motivation
By the time February arrives, most New Year’s resolutions are already behind us.
Not because people don’t care.
Not because they lack discipline.
But because motivation is a fragile foundation for change.
What actually sustains change is clarity.
In the early 2000s, Patrick Lencioni conducted a study on Organizational Commitment in an effort to better understand “buy in” to company culture. Specifically, he examined the relationship between two variables: The organization’s level of clarity around its Core Ideology (Purpose & Values). And, the individual’s level of clarity around their own Core Ideology.
Lencioni initially suspected that the lowest levels of organizational commitment would exist when neither the organization nor the individual had defined their ideology. In other words, if no one really knew who they were or what they stood for, commitment would naturally suffer.
But that is not what the research revealed.
The lowest level of organizational commitment actually occurs when there is high clarity at the organizational level and low clarity at the individual level.
This is the scenario where an organization has done the work to define its purpose and values, but the individuals inside the organization have not done that work for themselves. The company is clear. The people are not.
What typically happens next is predictable.
The organization senses a lack of buy in and assumes the issue is communication. Leaders respond by talking about the values more often. Purpose statements are repeated. Language becomes more frequent and more polished.
Instead of increasing commitment, it creates corporate noise.
Why?
Because people cannot meaningfully align to something externally if they lack clarity internally.
Until individuals have clarity around their own purpose and values, repeated messaging about company ideology does not feel inspiring. It often feels like pressure or performance. In some cases, it actively decreases commitment.
The solution is not more messaging.
The solution is facilitation.
Organizations must create space for individuals to explore and articulate their own ideology and then help them connect it to their role, their work, and the larger mission of the organization.
Clarity does not trickle down.
It develops side by side.
Tim’s Perspective: No More New Year’s Resolutions and a No. 2 Pencil, Please
Written by Tim Rhoades
There’s always a lot of stir around the new year and the idea of change. Some people make grand resolutions, others make small internal commitments, and some do nothing at all, but almost everyone thinks about it. The new year feels like an opportunity to start over. Everything seems fresh. It’s like a new day, only much bigger, filled with grand hopes and implications.
Unfortunately, most attempts at change end in failure. The New Year’s resolution failure rate is estimated at 80 to 90 percent. What’s going on? Every person had good intentions and some level of resolve when they made their resolution.
As we get older, the desire to make resolutions often fades. Not because positive change isn’t worthwhile, but because we know ourselves better. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. More often than not, resolutions simply don’t stick.
I’d like to suggest a different approach. One that begins with a shift in perspective and a focus on two things.
The first is understanding your purpose in life, your WHY. We have plenty of good old American know how, but very little know why. As Simon Sinek puts it, most of us know what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, but very few know why. Yet our WHY is what carries us through the most difficult seasons of life. It helps us navigate challenges in our relationships and gives us a sense of true north, a compass we can return to at any moment.
Your WHY isn’t something you invent. It’s something you discover. It’s who you are at your natural best, shaped by your experiences, especially early in life. When you know it, your decisions begin to align. You can also share it with others, helping them understand what drives you and how you choose.
I discovered my WHY about 30 years ago, and it changed my life, especially how I made decisions. Before that, I would have told you that family was one of my core values. But when I looked honestly at my choices and behavior, there was a disconnect. Family wasn’t actually a core value at all. Once I discovered my true purpose and values, everything began to change. It didn’t happen overnight, but today I can say that family truly is a core value, and my behavior reflects it.
Armed with your WHY, you’re ready for the second idea, the pencil analogy.
Life is like writing a story where you never get to pick up the pencil. You have all the room you need to write, but you can’t go back, and you can’t erase. You can only write something new.
At 70 years old, I’ve found this analogy to be remarkably true. I’ve spent far too many hours, days and months, trying to go back and erase things I’ve said or done. I can’t. And the energy, focus, and time spent wishing otherwise are simply not helpful.
Realizing that I get to write my story every day, and that over time it will tell the story of my life, is a great comfort. When you pair this understanding with a clear WHY and a set of core values, you have the beginning of a great adventure.
Life doesn’t give us an eraser, but it does give us today. Each day is another blank page, waiting not to be perfect, but to be honest. When we know who we are and what we value, the story we write, line by line, becomes one worth reading.
Josh’s Perspective: Where Individual Clarity Meets Organizational Clarity
What Tim describes at a personal level is the same work organizations must do collectively.
At Lighthouse Institute, we believe clarity is not a one-time exercise. It is an ongoing discipline, a HABIT.
That belief has led us to intentionally refine and reintroduce our Core Ideology as we enter 2026. Not as a branding exercise. Not as words on a wall. But as a shared language that guides how we lead, how we serve, and how we show up with people.
Lighthouse Institute Core Ideology
Our WHY
To Shine Light that ignites connection, inspires hope, and transforms generations!
This is not aspirational language for us. It names the work we feel called to do and the ripple effect we believe leadership can have when it is grounded in humanity.
Our Core Values
Set the Environment
Leadership always creates a climate. Leaders shape the emotional and relational environment whether they intend to or not. We believe great leaders take responsibility for the environment they create and understand that people do their best work where trust, safety, and accountability coexist.
See the Whole Person
People do not leave their humanity at the door. Life at home affects work and pressures at work spill into life at home. We choose to lead with empathy and curiosity, honoring the full human experience rather than reducing people to roles or results.
Stay in A.W.E. (And What Else?)
Curiosity keeps leaders grounded. Asking “and what else?” slows us down, expands perspective, and prevents premature certainty. Better questions lead to better conversations and better conversations lead to better outcomes.
Seek Alignment
Clarity without alignment creates friction. Alignment does not require agreement on everything, but it does require shared understanding. We help leaders align who they are with how they lead so purpose, values, and behavior move in the same direction.
An Invitation, Not an Expectation
We share our Core Ideology openly for one reason: So others will be encouraged to discover their own. You can read about how I found mine here: https://lighthouseinstitute.com/2025/04/24/finding-why/
As Lencioni’s research reminds us, organizational clarity without individual clarity does not create commitment. It creates noise. Real alignment happens when individuals are invited to explore their purpose and values and then connect them meaningfully to the work they do and the people they lead.
Life does not give us an eraser.
But it does give us today.
Another blank page.
Another opportunity to write something honest.
Go Shine Bright ✨
